Shock absorber



spring clip 7 and the clamping plate 14 be ing situated between the body ot' the arm and the lip.

In the construction shown the drum 8 is open at both ends and there is a supportinghead l1 closing' cach end of the drum, each head having the a in 12 which is secured to the vehicle body above described. The two heads are tied together by a tie bolt 2t and as they are both rigidly secured to the frame they constitute practically a unitai \A structure.

Each head supports a friction band 9 so thatthere are two friction bands o'ierating within the drum.

These friction hands are so connected to the heads 11 that when the armsll) and 12 move toward cach other, as will be the case when the sprilmv 4 is compressori. a'rclati vcly light friction is developed between thefriction bands and the drum, while when the arms move away from each other, as will be' the case when the spring 4 recoils, a heavy friction will be developed between the bands and the drum. llach friction band may be made of a hacking lo of spring metal and a lining 17 of friction material similar to that used in brake linings. Une end of each fric-tion hand is rigidly secured tto the head 1lY and the otheijenz-l is free. Each head 11 is shown as having a rib 18 which ctendsin a radial direction and is provided at its end with-a slot 19 to receive the inturned end 2O ot' the metal band 1G, this constituting a rigid but detachable connection between the bands and the head. The other end of the metal band 1G is bent to form a foot portion 21 which rests against a sprint,r arm 22 secured tothe rib 1'8, said arm tending normally to hold the free end of the split bands in engagement with the interior of the drum. 'l

When the arms 10 andl 12 move toward each other thereby giving the drum an anti-clockwise movement in Fig. 5, which operation will occur when the spring' 4 is compressed, a light friction will be developed between t-he idrum and each friction band because the frictional engagement of the free end of the bands with the drum will tend to move the free end of the band toward the Irib 18 and against the action of the spring G, thus contracting the friction band. On the other hand, when the spring 4- recoils and the arms 10 and 12 are moved away from each other the drum 8 will have a clockwise movement in Fig. 5 and the friction of the drum against' the free end of the friction band will tend to spread the band thuscausing it to have an increased' frictional grip yon the drum. This movement is augmented by the resilient action of the spring 22 and the result will be that whenkthe arms 10 and 12 move away from eachother a heavy frictionwill be developed, which furnishes a decided retarding action to the recoil of the spring and .prevents said spring from recoiling beyond its neutral point.

Each of the friction bands 9 operate 'in the manner above described.`

I have also incorporated. in the device a spring element constructed so that it normally tends to move the arms l() and 12 toward each other, one purpose ot this spring,r beingv to maintain t-he partsl under slight tension or perfectly taut so as to eliminate any lost motion. The sprinpherein shown is indicated at 2T and is in the form of a spiral spring which is fastened at its inner end to thc connected heads '11 and at its. outer end to the drum S. The two ribs 18 are shown as having' an anchoring pin 28 cxtending from one to the other, the ends of the pin being received in apertures in the two ribs. The spriiw 27 is situated between the ribs 18 and has one end bearingr against the pin 28, said spring' being' in the form of a spiral and having at its outer end a lug or head 29 which engages a lug 3() extending' inwardly from thevdrum 8. With this construction the separating movement of the arms 1() and '12 operates to wind up the spring, and ,said spring exerts a constant tendency to cause the arms to move toward each other, thus keeping the parts perfectly taut and free from back lash. e

The arms 1() may be connected to the axle in any suitable way. One convenient way is to provide arms with a link member 31 which is connected to a clamping' block 32 that is adapted to he clamped to the axle 6 by a clamping screw 33. Any other way of connecting the parts may be employed, however, without departing from the invention.

The shock absorber is constructed so that' it can be easily-installiert on the machine, the installation involvingr merely the .un screwing' the nuts at the bottom of the spring clips 7 land rcnlovin'g the clamping' plates 1-'1 and then replacing' said platos and'nuts with the flanges 13 clamped between, the plates 14 and the frame, and then connecting theiclamping block 32to the axle (3. All these operations can be. easily performed by any person and do not require the attention of a skilled mechanic.

I claim:

1. In a shock absorber, the combination' with a drum open at each end, of a head closing each end of the drum, means rigidly connectingr said heads, means for securing the heads. to the frame of an automobile, an arm extendingr frinn the drum and adapted to be secured to the axle of an automobile,

whereby the yielding movement of the automobile body will cause the drum and heads to turn relative to cach other, a split friction band for each head, each band having oneend rigidly secured to the correspond inghead and having frictional engagement with said drum, and a sprmg arm carried by each head and engaging the other end of the corresponding band.

' 2. In a. shock absorber, the combination with a drum open at each' end, oa head dosing each end of the drum, means rigidly lmandating said heads, means for securing 'the heads to the frame of an automobile, an army extending from the drum and adapted tobe secured to the-axle of an automobile, `whereby the yielding movement of lthe automobile body will cause the drum and heads'to turn relative to each other, a spiit friction band for each head, each band having one end rigidly secured to the co1- responding head and having frictional er1- l gageinent with said drum, a spring arm car'- ried by each lhead and engaging the other end o" the corresponding band, and a coil spring situated between the bands and secured at one end to the heads and yat the other end to the drum.V

i 3. in a shock absorber, the combination a5 l @with 'a drum open at each end, of a head elosingieach end of the druin7 means rigidly eonnecting said heads, means for securing the heads to the frame of an automobile,

an arm extending from the drum and adapted to be secured to the axle o f an automo- -Y bile, whereby the yielding movementof the automobile bodywill cause the drum and heads 4to turn relative to each other, a split friction band for each head, each band having one end rigidly secured to the corresponding head and having frictional eligagement with said drum, a spring arm carried by each head and engaging the other end of the corresponding band, and a coil A CHARLES N. COLSTAD. 

